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Special educational needs

Information about the provision of educational facilities for children with specific needs. Includes children with physical or sensory impairments, learning disabilities, emotional or behavioural difficulties, or issues with speech or language. Includes details of assessments, statements and your right of appeal.

A guide to special educational needs statements for parents of disabled children. Covers how to get the most out of the provisions, how to understand the proposed statement, the appeal process, your child's right to be included in mainstream schooling and not to be treated less favourably than a child without disabilities.

Explains the duties of schools and local education authorities to ensure disabled students are not discriminated against in terms of admission to the school or the education they receive. Also applies to colleges and universities.

The Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 amended the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 to make unjustified discrimination by education providers against disabled pupils, students and adult learners unlawful. The Disability Discrimination Act 2005 took things further, giving most public authorities a positive duty to promote disability equality.

If your child has been excluded and is disabled and/or has special educational needs, both schools and local authorities have duties towards you and your child. Includes support sheet to fit your situation, offering information and options on how to take your case forward.